Homemade Bacon - Looking for Tips
 

I tried making my own homemade bacon last weekend, and I'm not happy with the way it turned out. It seems to have retained too much moisture, and even after smoking it never really got that cured/dry look that bacon from the store gets. I fried some up, and it tasted more like a pork chop than bacon.

So I'm curious if anyone makes their own bacon and if so if they have any pointers or recipes.

Here is what I did:

1/2 C Kosher Salt
1/2 C brown sugar
Pink salt
Pepper

I let that cure for 10 days in a vac seal bag in my refrigerator. I washed it off then put it on the smoker for about 2 hours with apple wood chips (200f>).

I then re vac sealed the smoked bacon. The bags have a lot of moisture in them still.

Not sure if you did dry or wet cure.
I have tried both and much prefer dry with an equalization cure.
Something like this.
[url]http://thesaltcuredpig.com/bacon-part-two-measured-dry-cure/[/url]

Dry curing usually only takes about five days, so 10 may have been too long for it to sit in the curing bag. Also, you want to take it out of the curing bag, rinse it, and put it back in the fridge uncovered (on a rack in a pan for air flow) to let it dry out for a couple of days before smoking. Good luck with the next batch!

What are you calling pink salt?

Here's what I have done when making buck board bacon.
Ingredients:
One pork shoulder (Boston Butt)
2 tablespoons of Sugar per pound of meat (I will cut this in half next time)
1 tablespoon Mortons Tenderquick per pound of meat
Garlic powder add liberally
Onion Powder add liberally
Cracked Pepper amount is preference.

Summary:
Deboned and butterflied (do not trim fat)
Cured for 13 days
Pellicle formation one day
Cold Smoked for 36 hours using AMNPS (outside temperature 50° and below, my goal is to keep it under 75°)
Rested 4 days
Sliced, packaged.
Tested

[IMG]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8474/8082556649_0bf53d3087_c.jpg[/IMG]

More info here.


[URL="https://sites.google.com/site/sqwibcooks/curing/buck-board-bacon"]https://sites.google.com/site/sqwibcooks/curing/buck-board-bacon[/URL]

Do you have a scale that will weigh in grams? Below is how I cure and smoke bacon, but I can do it only in the winter time since cold or cool smoking can only be done it the winter due to heat in the other parts of the year.

1. Weigh your pork belly in grams.
2. Weigh out 2% of the pork belly weight of kosher or pickling salt .
3. Weigh out 1% of the pork belly weight of cane sugar.
4. Weigh out 1.13 grams of Cure 1 per pound of pork belly. Note: there are 454 grams in one pound.
5. Mix the salt, sugar and Cure one together. Make sure it is thoroughly mixed.
6. Carefully sprinkle the salt sugar and cure mixture on both
sides of the pork belly evenly. Rub the mixture into the pork belly.
7. Place the pork belly in a large zip lock bag and refrigerate between 33 and 38 degrees for 14 to 21 days. IMPORTANT: turn the zip lock bag over daily and massage the pork belly through the bag.
8. When curing is complete, remove the belly from the zip lock bag and rinse off under cold water.
9. Place the pork belly on a metal rack with a pan underneath the rack and return the belly to the fridge at least 2 days to set up and dry the belly. This step can go as long as 5 days, depending on your schedule.
10. Remove the belly from the fridge and either hang or place on racks in your smoker.
11. Run your smoker at less than 110 degrees F for one hour without smoke to form a sticky surface on the pork belly that smoke will adhere to. I like to run my smoker between 60 and 90 degrees F.
12. After one hour, apply smoke and smoke for 5 to 8 hours. Remove the pork belly from the smoker and refrigerate overnight uncovered.
13. Repeat step number 12 for up to 4 times or when you like the color of your pork belly.
14. After the pork belly has been smoked to your satisfaction, leave in the fridge uncovered for at least 3 days or as long as a week to let the flavors evenly distribute and mellow.
15. Slice your pork belly as you like it. I freeze mine in about one pound increments in vacuum sealed bags.
16. Enjoy your bacon, it's better than any bacon purchased in a store.

[QUOTE=Worth1;709509]What are you calling pink salt?[/QUOTE]

Pink salt is the notorious Himalayan Pink Salt. It is the only pink salt that is called that.

[url]https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curing_salt[/url]

MissS, I think Worth was asking because Cure 1 and Cure 2 is sometimes referred to as pink salt. The cure is dyed so people do not confuse Curing Salt with regular salt.

The Himalayan Pink Salt is a different shade of pink than curing salt.

[QUOTE=whistech;709624]MissS, I think Worth was asking because Cure 1 and Cure 2 is sometimes referred to as pink salt. The cure is dyed so people do not confuse Curing Salt with regular salt.

The Himalayan Pink Salt is a different shade of pink than curing salt.[/QUOTE]

Worth I'm using the #1.

Thanks for sharing the info. I'm going to swing through Costco and grab another belly, although the pork butt idea sounds like a winner also. Especially considering how they've started pricing belly like a luxury cut (same with skirt steak anymore).

The cold smoking is going to be difficult as well considering it's hitting 100f for the foreseeable future.

[QUOTE=MissS;709562]Pink salt is the notorious Himalayan Pink Salt. It is the only pink salt that is called that.[/QUOTE]


Incorrect - it is pink curing salt used to cure meats.

Himalayan salt is also pink, just not specially intended for curing uses

I think my main problem was that I did not let it smoke long enough. I let it go a couple hours at very low temp. I did make sure to rinse and dry very well. I learned the need to dry the first time I made sausage. I didn't dry my first batch I made and it made it a disgusting pale color instead of a nice red smoked color.

[QUOTE=SQWIBB;709512]Here's what I have done when making buck board bacon.
Ingredients:
One pork shoulder (Boston Butt)
2 tablespoons of Sugar per pound of meat (I will cut this in half next time)
1 tablespoon Mortons Tenderquick per pound of meat
Garlic powder add liberally
Onion Powder add liberally
Cracked Pepper amount is preference.

Summary:
Deboned and butterflied (do not trim fat)
Cured for 13 days
Pellicle formation one day
Cold Smoked for 36 hours using AMNPS (outside temperature 50° and below, my goal is to keep it under 75°)
Rested 4 days
Sliced, packaged.
Tested

[IMG]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8474/8082556649_0bf53d3087_c.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]

Now THAT is some fine looking bacon!

[QUOTE=whistech;709624]MissS, I think Worth was asking because Cure 1 and Cure 2 is sometimes referred to as pink salt. The cure is dyed so people do not confuse Curing Salt with regular salt.

The Himalayan Pink Salt is a different shade of pink than curing salt.[/QUOTE]

Which TV show hosts fail to mention a few times or at least I have seen it.
I have also seen people buy this Himalayan salt thinking it was curing salt because of what these people said on TV or where ever.

Another option is Morton's tender quick and sugar cure.
I have used them all including just plain salt.
Even bought the stuff in pure form from a pharmacy about 30 some odd years ago when I first got started.
One bottle of that stuff will last a lifetime. :lol: